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Michael Hodge

Founder, President & CEO

jammers girl club volleyball Durham Chapel Hill, Butner creedmoor

For Coach Mike Hodge, Volleyball is life.  

Volleyball has been a part of Mike’s life since he was a 16-year-old high school student in gym class.  In 1981, while at the College of the Virgin Islands, Hodge tried out for the team and became a member of the CVI Buccaneers Volleyball program.  Under the coaching and tutelage of Elridge Blake, to whom he owes his dedication and development in the sport, volleyball became engrained in Hodge's blood. During his time with this team, the Buccaneers won several V.I. Adult Power League Championships.  In addition he traveled throughout the Caribbean and Canada, playing in numerous tournaments.  It was during that phase of his career and beyond that he played on the Virgin Islands National Team.  

After college, Mike Hodge became a member of the Strikers Volleyball Club Team, with which he won several more Virgin Islands Adult Power League Championships.  He was voted the MVP and Best Spiker of the St. Thomas/St. John Coed League 1988 and he was voted Best Scorer of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League in 1990, and finally MVP and the Best Spiker of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League in 1991.  He remained a part of the team until he relocated to North Carolina in 1992.  

Upon moving to North Carolina, Hodge became acquainted with Karl Owen and played on the USBVA team Safe Sets from 1992 to 1997.  He was voted to the 1993 All Regional Team.  In 1998 the team was renamed Net.Com for which he played from 1998 to 2000.  Mike was voted to the All Regional Team and MVP of the High A Regional Finals in 1998.  

In 2000, after knee surgery, he founded the International Jammers Volleyball Club Team.  Without all of the key components to have a dominant men’s team, he put his volleyball playing dream aside and played for two years with Vaughn Hastings's teams.  In the 2003/2004 season with Doug Acksel and Blaine Tendler as administrators, he re-established the International Jammers Men Teams.  With the Jammers representing 10 different nationalities, Hodge played until the 2006/2007 season before he officially retired for competition.  Mike also played outdoor triples and quads in addition to playing in the Chapel Hill City Leagues, Durham City Leagues, and RTP competitive leagues.  

In 2003, Mike became a member of the Riverside High School Volleyball team staff as an assistant coach, and in 2006 he became their head coach. After coaching with the Chapel Hill Spikers for the 2003/2004 season, Mike co-founded the Junior Jammers Volleyball Club during the 2004/2005 club season with Blaine Tendler where they were coaches at Riverside High School. Mike's first team won 20 matches in a row to start their seasons before suffering their first loss.  

Mike has coached ages 13’s thru 18’s during his tenure with Jammers Volleyball Club.  Continuing to coach high school volleyball, Mike has been honored as the Coach of the Year for the PAC 6 during the 2010, 2011 and 2013.  His record at Riverside High School over the last five years is 101-25.  He was also awarded the 2010 Meritorious Award for his contributions to improve the level of play in the Durham/Chapel Hill area.  After a year off from coaching for personal reasons, he is back in the trenches to coach the 17’s age group.  Coach Hodge considered himself to be a Jammer for Life!!

He resides in Durham with his wife Dr. Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge and son Michael Samuel Hodge.  He also has a daughter Megan Colleen Hodge who recently got married and lives in Massachusetts with her husband Omar X Easy and son Easton Xavier Easy. 

Side Bar:  In 2005, Hodge was diagnosed with prostate cancer and in 2012 his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer hence forth the Yellow Live Strong Jerseys and the pink Jammers t-shirt “Playing for the Cure” on my Face Book page. Through it all volleyball has been a stabilizing force.  

 

Volleyball Experiences:

  • Co-Founded the Junior Jammers Volleyball Club 2004
  • President of Jammers Volleyball Club 2005 - Present
  • Founded the International Jammers Volleyball Club Team 2001
  • Member of the International Jammers Volleyball Club Team 2001 - Present
  • Member of the Net.Com Volleyball Team 1998-00
  • Member of the Safe Sets Volleyball Team 1992-97
  • Member of the Strikers Volleyball Club Team 1986-92
  • Member of the UVI Buccaneers Volleyball Club Team 1981-85

Coaching Experiences:

  • Head Coach for Varsity Volleyball at Riverside High School 2006 - Present
  • Assistant Coach for Junior Varsity and Varsity for Riverside High School 2003-05
  • Head Coach and Team Rep for International Jammers Volleyball Club 2001-05
  • Head Coach for the Chapel Hill Spikers 16s Team 2004
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 15s Silver Team 2005
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 16s Blue Silver Team 2006
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Blue Gold Team 2007
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 15s Red Gold Team 2007
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 16s Red Gold Team 2008
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Red Gold Team 2009
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 18s Black National Team 2010
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Semi National Plus Team 2011
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s National Limited Team 2012
  • Director of Coaching for the Jammers Volleyball Club 2013
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Red Regional Plus Limited Team 2014
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Red Regional Plus Team 2015
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 18s Black Regional Select Team 2016
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 18s Black Regional Select Team 2017
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Red National Team 2018
  • Head Coach for the Jammers  16s Red Semi-National Plus Team 2019
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 17s Red Semi-National Team 2020
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 18s Black College Prep Semi-National Team 2021
  • Head Coach for the Jammers 18s Black  Semi-National Team 2022

Career Awards:

  • Selected “Rookie of the Year” for the UVI Buccaneers Volleyball Club Team
  • Member of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League UVI Buccaneers Club Team 1981-85
  • Member of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League Strikers Volleyball Club 1986-89, 1991-92
  • Member of the Virgin Islands National Volleyball Team 1985-89
  • MVP and the Best Spiker of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League 1991
  • Best Scorer of the Virgin Islands Adult Power League 1989
  • MVP and Best Spiker of the St. Thomas/St. John Coed League 1988
  • ‘All Regional’ Team for the Carolina Region 1993 and 1998
  • MVP of the Carolina Region High A Level 1998
  • Carolina Region Meritorious Service Award 2010
  • Pac 6 Conference Coach of the Year RHS 2010
  • Pac 6 Conference Coach of the Year RHS 2011
  • Pac 6 Conference Coach of the Year RHS 2013
  • Tri 8 Conference Co-Coach of the Year RHS 2020
  • In 2021, the International Jammers 2005 Team is the First Adult Team to be inducted into the NC Volleyball Hall of Fame Court of Honor. Mike Hodge founded the International Jammers Volleyball Club Team in 2001.